Generally, a slide fastener includes a pair of left and right fastener stringers in which element rows are formed on side edges facing each other of left and right fastener tapes along a length direction of the tape, and a slider attached to the element rows in a slidable manner. By sliding the slider along the element rows in a coupling direction or a separating direction of fastener elements, the slide fastener can be closed or opened.
A slider generally includes a slider body and a tab rotatably attached to the slider body. The slider body and the tab are formed of synthetic resin or metal. The slider body includes an upper blade part (upper wing plate), a lower blade part (lower wing plate) which is separated from and disposed in parallel with the upper blade part, a guide post connecting both front ends (shoulder opening side end parts) of the upper blade part and the lower blade part, and a tab attaching rod provided on an upper surface of the upper blade part. The tab is attached to the tab attaching rod in the slider body.
For using a slide fastener having such a slider, a user slides the slider by holding the tab with his fingers and pulling the slider in a coupling or a separating direction of the fastener element to open or close the slide fastener. That means, the user can perform a sliding operation easily and stably because the tab is attached to the slider body.
Meanwhile, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2,528,168 Specification (Patent Document 1) discloses a slide fastener in which a slider body without having a tab is operated to slide with a tab tool formed independently from the slider body, as a slide fastener used for a cloth for a nursery care receiver.
FIG. 18 shows a cross-sectional view of the slider body described in Patent Document 1. The slider body 90 has a body main part 91, a cover body 92 mounted on the body main part 91, a plate spring member 93 held in the cover body 92, and a stopping pawl body 94 pivoted by the body main part 91 and biased by the plate spring member 93. However, a tab is not attached to the slider body 90.
In Patent Document 1, the body main part 91 has an upper blade part 91a, a lower blade part 91b, a connecting post 91c connecting both front ends of the upper blade part 91a and the lower blade part 91b, a flange part 91d disposed on left and right side edge parts of the upper blade part 91a and the lower blade part 91b and a pair of front and rear attaching posts 91e erecting on a front end part and a rear end part respectively of an upper surface of the upper blade part 91a. 
An element guideway through which element rows of the slide fastener passes is formed between the upper blade part 91a and the lower blade part 91b in the body main part 91, and a pawl hole 91f penetrating from an upper surface side of the upper blade part 91a to the element guideway is formed between the pair of front and rear attaching posts 91e. 
The cover body 92 has a ceiling part, a front wall part, a rear wall part and left and right side wall parts. An inside of the cover body 92 is hollow. On the left and right wall parts in the cover body 92 for entering and exiting a pin 96d, as mentioned below, of a tab tool 96 are formed, but not shown. The plate spring member 93 is held on the ceiling of the cover body 92 to bend downward.
The stopping pawl body 94 has a main body part 94a having a substantially U-shape and a stopping pawl part 94b extending downward from an edge part of the main body part 94a. The stopping pawl body 94 is pivotably supported to the front attaching post 91e on the body main part 91 with a pivot 95. As the stopping pawl body 94 is biased downward by the plate spring member 93, the stopping pawl part 94b is protruded in the element guideway through the pawl hole 91f in the upper blade part 91a. 
As the stopping pawl part 94b in the stopping pawl body 94 is protruded in the element guideway, the stopping pawl part 94b can be engaged with the fastener element in the element rows passing through the element guideway, which are not shown. With the above, the slider body 90 can keep a stopped state not to move with respect to the element rows of the slide fastener.
The tab tool 96 for a sliding operation of the slider body 90 without having a tab along the element rows has a shape like nippers in which a pair of first and second arm parts 96a and 96b are swingably connected at a connecting axis part 96c, as shown in FIG. 19.
The first and second arm parts 96a and 96b each has a grip part disposed on an end part and a holding part disposed on the other end part, respectively. The holding part of the first and second arm parts 96a and 96b is provided with a pair of pins 96d protruding inward. A spring 96e biasing the grip part of the first arm part 96a and the grip part of the second arm part 96b in an opening direction is disposed near the connecting axis part 96c connecting the first arm part 96a and the second arm part 96b. 
For the sliding operation of the slider body 90 with such a tab tool 96, a user first grips the grip parts of the tab tool 96, brings the both holding parts closer against a spring force of the spring 96e, brings the pair of pins 96d close to the cover body 92 in the slider body 90, and inserts the pins 96d into the left and right windows provided on the cover body 92. Then, the pins 96d of the tab tool 96 are fitted inside the body part 94a having a substantially U-shape in the stopping pawl part 94b, as shown as an imaginary line in FIG. 18.
Subsequently, the user pulls the slider body 90 with the tab tool 96 in a closing or a separating direction of the element rows while holding the grip parts of the tab tool 96. The stopping pawl body 94 is rotated upward with the pins 96d of the tab tool 96 against a spring force of the plate spring member 93, and the stopping pawl part 94b of the stopping pawl body 94 exits from the element guideway. Therefore, engagement of the stopping pawl part 94b in the stopping pawl body 94 with the fastener element of the element rows are released, which enables sliding of the slider body 90 in a closing or a separating direction.
Such a slide fastener as in Patent Document 1 can release an engaging state between the stopping pawl body 94 and the fastener element and slide the slider body 90 easily along the element rows using the tab tool 96. However, the slider body 90 cannot be slid without using the tab tool 96.
Accordingly, in a case that the slide fastener of Patent Document 1 is attached to a cloth for a nursing care receiver, the care receiver wearing the cloth cannot slide the slider body 90 without the tab tool 96, even if he tries to get off the cloth consciously or subconsciously. Therefore, it can be prevented that the care receiver gets off the cloth on his own.
Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Publication No. JP06-209809 (Patent Document 2) discloses using a tool for coupling elements to couple left and right element rows of a slide fastener instead of using a slider.
A tool (jig) for coupling elements described in Patent Document 2 has a pair of first and second arm parts rotatably connected with each other at a pin (supporting point). A pair of holding parts directly holding left and right element rows are disposed on one end part of the first and the second arm parts.
A coupling part for coupling left and right fastener elements is formed on one of the pair of the holding parts. The coupling part has a tapered guide groove which contacts a side edge of a tape inner side of the left and right fastener element rows and guides the left and right element rows in an approaching direction with each other to be coupled, and an engaging pin standing on a center part of one end part in the element row guiding direction in the guide groove.
In a case that left and right element rows without a slider are coupled using such a tool for coupling elements, the element rows and a fastener tape are held with a holding part of the tool for element coupling by holding end parts (coupling starting end parts) of separating left and right element rows at a top and bottom direction of the tape so that the left and right element rows are inserted into the guide groove.
Then, while maintaining the holding state of the element rows and the fastener tape with the holding part, the tool for element coupling is moved to a closing direction of the element rows. The left and right fastener elements are coupled one by one at the coupling part of the holding part, and the slide fastener can be closed.
Using a tool for coupling element as in Patent Document 2 enables coupling of left and right element rows without using a slider. Therefore, a slider can be removed from structural members of a slide fastener. Thus, according to Patent Document 2, a bulkiness due to a slider can be prevented, and a good appearance can be maintained in products in which a fastener is attached.